Republic of Tunisia GeographyRepublic of Tunisia GeographyTunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coast of Northwest Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Delta. It is bordered by Algeria on the west (965 km) and southwest and Libya on the south east (459 km). It lies between latitudes 30° and 38°N, and longitudes 7° and 12°E. An abrupt southward turn of the Mediterranean coast in northern Tunisia gives the country two distinctive Mediterranean coasts, west–east in the north, and north–south in the east. Though it is relatively small in size, Tunisia has great environmental diversity due to its north–south extent. Its east–west extent is limited. Differences in Tunisia, like the rest of the Maghreb, are largely north–south environmental differences defined by sharply decreasing rainfall southward from any point. The Dorsal, the eastern extension of the Atlas Mountains, runs across Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula in the east. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, again an extension of mountains to the west in Algeria. In the Khroumerie, the northwestern corner of the Tunisian Tell, elevations reach 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) and snow occurs in winter. The Sahel, a broadening coastal plain along Tunisia's eastern Mediterranean coast, is among the world's premier areas of olive cultivation. Inland from the Sahel, between the Dorsal and a range of hills south of Gafsa, are the Steppes. Much of the southern region is semi-arid and desert. Tunisia has a coastline 1,148 kilometres (713 mi) long. In maritime terms, the country claims a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles (44 kilometres), and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres). The city of Tunis is built on a hill slope down to the lake of Tunis. These hills contain places such as Notre-Dame de Tunis, Ras Tabia, La Rabta, La Kasbah, Montfleury and La Manoubia with altitudes just above 50 metres (160 feet). The city is located at the crossroads of a narrow strip of land between Lake Tunis and Séjoumi. Republic of Tunisia Climate Tunisia's climate is Mediterranean in the north, with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The south of the country is desert. The terrain in the north is mountainous, which, moving south, gives way to a hot, dry central plain. The south is semiarid, and merges into the Sahara. A series of salt lakes, known as chotts or shatts, lie in an east–west line at the northern edge of the Sahara, extending from the Gulf of Gabes into Algeria. The lowest point is Chott el Djerid at 17 metres (56 ft) below sea level and the highest is Jebel ech Chambi at 1,544 metres (5,066 ft). Republic of Tunisia Biodiversity Tunisia is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests, Saharan halophytics, Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, and North Saharan steppe and woodlands. Tunisia Overview Tunisia Location: North Africa Tunisia Capital and largest City: Tunis Tunisia Co-Ordinates: 36°49′N 10°11′E Tunisia Official Languages: Arabic Tunisia Local Vernacular: Tunisian Arabic Tunisia Foreign Languages: French Tunisia Ethnic Groups (2021): 98% Arabs 1% Berbers 1% Jews and others Tunisia Religion: 99% Sunni Islam 1% Others (inc. Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, Baháʼís and irreligious) Tunisia Demonym(s): Tunisian Tunisia Government: Unitary presidential republic Tunisia President: Kais Saied Tunisia Prime Minister: Kamel Madouri Tunisia Legislature: Parliament Tunisia Upper House: National Council of Regions and Districts Tunisia Lower House: Assembly of the Representatives of the People Tunisia Establishment: Ancient Carthage 814 BC Husainids: 15 July 1705 Kingdom: 20 March 1956 Republic: 25 July 1957 Tunisia Current Constitution: 25 July 2022 Tunisia Area Total: 163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi) (91st) Water (%): 5.04 Tunisia Population: 2020 estimate 11,708,370 (81st) Tunisia Currency: Tunisian dinar (TND) Tunisia Time Zone: UTC+1 (CET) Tunisia ate Format: dd/mm/yyyy Tunisia Driving Side: right Tunisia Calling Code: +216 Tunisia ISO 3166 Code: TN Tunisia Internet TLD: .tn .تونس | |||||
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